Patagonia is a Gateway Community for the Arizona Trail, which cuts an 800-mile path across Arizona, south to north, from Mexico to Utah. Patagonia is the nearest town to the southern end of the trail, and the town bills itself as the southern terminus.
Visitors to Patagonia can easily get to a portion of the trail by driving along McKeown Street/Harshaw Road for about 3 miles and watching for an Arizona Trail parking lot. A sign at Patagonia Town Hall notes that the trail begins climbing immediately and offers lovely long views within a short distance.
Getting to the actual southern terminus on the Mexican border takes a bit more work. The Arizona Trail website gives directions to Montezuma Pass, located about 1.8 miles from the border. Through-hikers and cyclists on the trail often use Patagonia as a stopping-off and supply point.
Here is a 10-minute video produced by the Arizona Trail Association about the Arizona Trail and Sirena Dufault’s thru-hike to raise awareness of the trail and Gateway Communities.
